JPS58195196A - Method and device for loading tray of nuclear fuel pellet - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION -1 Nuclear reactor fuel generally consists of fuel rods, tubes, bins or claddings substantially filled with UO2 or other fissile material, preferably configured in the shape of a right cylinder. Contain things. 1′)′″15″=″W″4″・01恍1962ffC using this kind of fuel?
10 Hill Book Campaign 3 (Mc Graw
Hill 3ook Company) Lt (M, M, E I -Waki)
l) Author [Nuclear Power
EnOineerin (1) J.

Fuel pellets are loaded into fuel rods or tubes from corrugated trays as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,078.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for orderly placing fuel pellets on such trays.

Another object of the invention is to automate the loading of fuel pellet trays prior to loading pellets into fuel rods, fuel tubes or fuel elements.

Another object of the invention is to stack fuel pellets on a tray in a plurality of rows and also in a plurality of levels, layers or tiers.

Summary In realizing the above object, a tray loading device and method, which are described herein as the best embodiment 1', have been invented. The compacting device mechanically places multiple rows λ of right cylindrical pellets onto a receiving or indexing device that includes a tray that can be corrugated.

Each row of pellets is collected and then pushed to a drop position on a pair of blades. The blades open or unfold to drop each row of pellets or collection of pellets onto a selected position on the tray or onto a row of pellets that has already been transferred. Since the tray is positionable horizontally and vertically, the apertures in the blades provide accurate positioning of each pellet row.

The pellets are individually fed onto the blade and arranged in rows. Arrival is detected by one of a number of sensors which actuate a pusher to advance the pellet train to the drop position. The blade is then manipulated to place the row of pellets onto the tray below.

The tray is supported by a table with legs depending downwardly toward the weighing device. When the tray is lowered sufficiently, the table legs engage the metering device.

The table itself is supported by a horizontally movable platform, which in turn is supported by a vertically movable platform. Each platform is driven by a motor, and the motor is electrically controlled, for example, by a micronbulizer or processor or controller that receives input from a sensor that detects the formation of each pellet row. After the pellet rows are placed, the tray is indexed or positioned as described below.

Preferred or best embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Part 1 FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. Nuclear fuel pellets 11, preferably in the form of right cylinders, arrive individually and are placed on a belt 13 driven by pulleys 14, 14', 14''.
．． Move between 13'.

The belts 13.13' act as part of the feeding means for advancing the pellets 11, and the pellets 1] generally move between the belts 13.13' at varying distances from each other. The pellets 11 are transferred to a belt 13.1 from continuously moving belt means (not shown) for conveying the pellets from time to time.
3' can be received. This belt means may be, for example, a conveyor for moving the pellets, and the mode of movement may vary from continuous to sporadic movement or vice versa. The source of such pellets 11 is disclosed in a US patent application dated the same date as the present case (inventor: Leonard N, Grossgia).
n) “Automated inspection system”, which is the subject of 4 other people, is acceptable. Another U.S. patent application dealing with the transportation of pellets 11 is entitled "Transport Apparatus" (inventor: Fredrik C., 5c).
hoenio) and 2 others). This is also a US patent application dated the same date as this case. Both US patent applications are each incorporated herein by reference.

The arrival of the pellets 11 and their progress between the belts 13, 13' are shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a motor 16 that drives a pulley 17, and the pulley 17 drives a pulley 14' via a belt 18. Pellets 11 are supported between belts 13.13'. The belt 13.13' is supported between the pulleys 14 by at least one inwardly pressed plate 19. Plate 19 is belt 13.1 with pulley 14.
This removes the 3' curve. More specifically, one of the plates 19 may be fixed and the other may maintain that the pellet 11 is supported between the belts 13° 13'.
It is pressed inward by a spring to prevent The plate 19 ensures that the pellets 11 are held securely on the belt 13.13'. If the belt 13,13' is not sufficient to support any of the pellets 11, the pellets 11 are supported by a V-shaped bar 21 mounted on the table surface 23. The V-shaped bar 21 is therefore a guide for the pellet 11 interposed between the belts 13, 13'. Pulley 17
The motor 16 driving the belt is mounted below this surface 23, while the shaft 25 serves to advance or advance the bow pellet 11 through the surface 23 to provide the drive for the pulley 17. 13.13”′→Rotate in opposite directions.

That is, one travels clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Pulley 14' has two levels and transmits the rotational movement of belt 18 to drive belt 13' in a counterclockwise direction. -Cars 31 to 34 work together to pulley 1
Turn 4" clockwise.

This is accomplished by extending the axis of pulley 14' below table surface 23 and mounting gears 31-34 thereon. In this example there are four gears. 1st
The gear 31 is mounted on the shaft of the pulley 14' and rotates counterclockwise. The first gear 31 properly meshes with the teeth of the 211th wheel 32 and rotates the 21ith wheel 32 clockwise. According to the same principle, the third gear 33 rotates counterclockwise.

The shaft of the fourth gear 34 transmits a clockwise motion to the pulley 14'', causing the belt 13 to rotate clockwise.

As the pellets 11 travel between the belts 13, 13', they arrive at a gathering area (position) 37 shown in FIG. Optical inspection/
The hanger 38 inspects the area between the belts 13, 13' for the reasons explained below. As the pellets 11 are delivered one after another, they fill the collection area 37 and advance in articulation onto the blades 42, 42'.

As shown in FIG. 5, the photoelectric detector 38 includes a suitable light 138' cooperating with a sensor 38'', for example, and is mounted on a bracket 39 and a belt 13.13'.
This is effective for detecting the presence or absence of the pellet 11 at the edge of the area. Detector 38 generates status indicating signals indicative of the position of pellet 11 and includes means (not shown) for communicating these indicating signals to a section described below. Blades 42,42' (FIG. 1) are pivotable elongate members and rotate about closely spaced parallel rotational axes. Minimum distance between blades is 1 pellet
This distance is smaller than the range of distances corresponding to the diameter of the representative one. The blades 42 and 42' define a drop position for dropping the pellets 11 row by row to a lower level after forming a row of pellets in the collection area 37. After each row is assembled or placed in a drop position, it drops and fills a predetermined number of tray positions and levels on the movable means described below.

The blades 42,42' act as a pair and open or widen by rotating about adjacent horizontal parallel axes disposed in the direction of pellet flow to drop a row of pellets 11. These blades 42
．． The small shaft 45 at the end of 42' is the blade 42.42'
The support structure 47 extends along the respective rotational axes and projects into a receiving hole in the support structure 47 to be supported.

One of the support structures 47 includes a section 49 through which the minor shaft 45 extends into the gearwheel 51.52, both gearwheels having a minor shaft 45 in one example of the blade 42.42'.
installed at the end of the The blades 42.42' cooperate by meshing gears 51.52, and the blades 42.
42' have the same but opposite slope from the central reference plane. When you rotate one of the seven gears, the other rotates only in the open chain, but in the opposite direction. Lever □ To 56:ffEJit872k"ㅅ,pi7'-゛"'・
.

Determine the slope of 2'. . . . The spring 55 is hydraulically driven by an air cylinder 57. The bushing 55 rotates one gear and as a result both gears 51.
It functions as a mounting body actuator to cause rotation of 52. The cylinder 57 includes a piston rod 57' which is repeatedly extended and retracted in a reciprocating manner, and the tip of the piston rod 57' is connected to the end of the lever 56 remote from the gears 51 and 52. As the pellet collection in the collection area 37 is pushed onto the blades 42, 42', one of the plurality of optical detectors 61 detects the first arriving pellet 11 at what is called one of the respective general positions 62. Detect. A particular one of the selected positions 62 indicates that the length of the column of pellets 11 has reached the predetermined desired length.

The detector 61 in this example was manufactured by Scanamatic (3kan-a-matiC, Deerfield, Florida).
It can be obtained from. General position 62 was extruded from set 1fi37. , r shows the arrival position of the pellet 11. The detector 61 incorporates a light source mounted on the blade 42' and in each case the -C light &~ cooperates with the respective sensor 61.

Several general positions 62 define different lengths of pellet rows between them and the collection area 37. The longest of these pellet row lengths defines the length of the pellet row that is placed directly into the tray as described below. The next length defines the pellet row of one or more next layers or levels of pellets on the tray. The shortest pellet row is of course the top layer of pellets 11. In order to fully position each row of pellets 11 on the blade 42, 42' so that the leading edge of the pellet row reaches the drop zone, the processor 80 appropriately controls the pusher 71 to transfer the pellets 11 to the drop position. It is programmed. Detector 6
1 suitably generates and transmits a signal instructing the formation of a pellet train, after which the pellet train is pushed into the falling area.

The pusher 71 removes a row of pellets from the collection area 37 by inserting a finger 72 behind the last of the pellets 11 making up a particular row. A finger 72 is inserted behind the pellet row and a button 71 directs the pellet row to a controller, control means or processor 80 (
4) to the position determined by Figure 4). Processor 80 determines this position based on tray position and layer (described below), as described below. Processor 80 vertically and horizontally indexes and directs the operation of the tray and receives position indication signals for pellets 11. Complete rows are located in collection area 37 as confirmed by detector 61
motor 1 and detector 38 finds an unobstructed space between the pellets 11 as shown in FIG.
6 and belt 13.13' are stopped or reversed. This ensures that the bushings 71 do not hit the pellets when the fingers 72 are inserted behind the collection of pellets 11.

The fingers 72 (FIG. 1) are driven horizontally and parallel to the axis of the pellet row by a motor 75 which turns a screw 76 supported by a structure 77 about its own axis. When the screw 76 rotates, the conveyor table 81 holding the finger 72 moves straight along the screw 76 in response to the rotation of the screw 76.

By abutting one surface of structure 77, carriage 81 remains aligned with structure 77 without rotating about the axis of screw 76.

The range of horizontal movement of the carriage 81 at the screw 76 is sufficient to reach behind the row of pellets 11 formed in the collection area 37 and to move the row of pellets to the fall area on the blade 42, 42'. be.

The block 83 holding the finger 72 is an air cylinder 8
6, it moves vertically on the conveyor table 81. 0
Tubes 89 keep blocks 83 in alignment. finger 7
2 extends downwardly from block 83.

The row of Beret 11 is pushed! After being moved to the falling area by 71, it is ready to be transferred onto the pellet array tray 101 at any time. . Tray 101 may include a plurality of corrugated recesses: 1. ．． ．． ．． ．． -,, the corrugated recess is one row of pellets 1
Hold 1.

□ The tray 101 is positioned below the brain board 42, 42' and is supported by a table 105 with [1106] extending towards the N machine 108. The tray 101 is part of a mobile means that includes a vertically mobile platform 114 supporting a horizontally mobile plant platform 113.

The weighing machine 108 is supported on a fixed reference surface and the tray 10 is
1 is vertically and horizontally positionable. Horizontal tray positioning is possible in this embodiment in forward and reverse directions.

The table 105 can be lowered so that the legs 106 can extend below the horizontally and vertically movable platforms 113° 114 to engage the top surface of the weighing machine 108. This allows measurement of the weight of pellets 11 on tray 101.

Table 105 is connected to platform 113. shown in FIG.
114. Platform 1: The elevators 113 and 114 are raised and lowered by actuator 115.

will be accomplished. These actuators are operated by a motor 20, 11
Through a connecting system of shafts 126 that can take the form of
View-driven. These shafts 126 are coupled together through gears 127, which allow rotation of a single shaft 126 to rotate all shafts 126 in unison.

The motor 120 itself engages one of these shafts 126 via another similar gear 128. Therefore, motor 1
20 provides synchronous rotation of all axes and allows the actuator 115 to move the platforms 113, 114 up and down without disrupting their generally horizontal alignment. Platform 113 can move horizontally (ie, back and forth) on the surface of platform 114.

Platform 113 is attached to a bushing 131 that slides along a rail 132 installed on platform 114. The back and forth movement is provided by a motor 141 rotating a screw 142. Leg 1 of table 105
06 (FIG. 1) pass through holes or cutouts 150 (FIG. 3) in the platforms 113, 114, so that both platforms can support the table 105 during loading and provide support for the tray 101 and its loading pellets 11. Allows for weighing.

By moving the platforms 113 and 114, the tray 10
1 adjusts its position vertically and horizontally, rows of pellets 11 are dropped or transferred from the blades 42, 42' to selected positions on the tray 101, thus allowing orderly loading of the tray. .

It may be desirable to stack the pellets 11 on the tray 101 in multiple levels, layers or tiers. In other words, it may be advantageous not only to place the pellets 11 on the tray 101, but also to stack the pellets 11 directly on top of the pellets 11.

However, initially, a single layer of pellets 1 is placed on the tray 101.
It is clear that 1 will be placed directly. To make this convenient and to prevent horizontal movement of the pellets 11 on the tray 101, a plurality of corrugations consisting of parallel grooves and protrusions are formed on the surface of the tray 101. One corrugation may be used to receive each row of pellets placed as a first layer on the tray.

The pellet IItM onto the tray 101 is the pellet 11
This is accomplished under the control of a processor 80 (see FIG. 4), which is suitably programmed to determine the horizontal position of tray 101 after each row has been loaded.

According to the initial conditions set in the software that operates the processor 80, the tray 101
placed in a vertical position suitable for receiving 1. Tray 1
01 is also horizontally positioned to receive the first row cutting pellet 11. By horizontal indexing, the tray 101 is
It is advanced to the next horizontal receiving position, preferably adjacent to the immediately preceding row of pellets.

The number of pellet rows placed at one level on a particular tray 101 is a constant depending on the dimensions of the tray 01;
This number is then stored in the processor memory 11 and executed horizontally: 1□i
l□;.

Set a limit for the number of rows to be placed - when this limit is reached,
The tray 101 is vertically indexed for the second level of pellets 11 and horizontally repositioned to the starting position. Each row of pellets at one level after the second level is placed between the rows of the level immediately below it, and the number of rows of pellets placed at the -1 level is less than the number of rows of pellets at the level immediately below it. Both are one less. For example, the first row of the second level is preferably located at a horizontal position between the first and second rows of the first pellet level. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, three levels of pellets are loaded onto the tray.

The following commercially available products are used in the examples of the invention described herein.

Bodine 527 Varispeet'(
Varispeed) motor. This is belt 1'3.1
Drive 3'.

MoO2-FUj06 slo-syn motor. This drives the screw of the pusher 71.

Duff Morton Competition Company
,,′°・□.

Actuator (actuator) 115° sold by
■Thompson ball bushing 731 carrying platform 113 on rail 132 receives information from detector 38.61 and motor 16.
75.120, preferably an Intel
l) Processor 80, which is an 86/12-8 type microcomputer device; Weighing device 108, which is preferably a digital scale with a remote readout device for display. Having described an embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that The invention is not limited thereto, and many modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing some features of the tray loading device as seen from one direction. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing the features of the tray loading device as seen from the loading side of the device, with some parts cut away to clearly show the drive mechanism of the device. FIG. 3 shows some features of the tray loading device shown in FIG. 1 that are hidden in FIG. 1! FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the control function of the processor in the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view of pellets arriving at a collecting area for collecting pellets; an optical sensor monitors the presence of gaps between individual arriving pellets and the rows of collected pellets; FIG. is also shown. 1'1... Beret, 13.13'...
・Belt, 16...Motor, 37...
Collection area, 38... Optical detector, 42.42'
...Blade, 51゜52 ...Gear,
55...butsusha, 56...lever,
57...Air cylinder, 61...Optical detector, 71...Button, 72...
・Finger, 75...Motor, 76...
・Screw, 80...Processor, 81...
・Transportation table, 86...Air cylinder, 101...
...Tray, 105...Table, 106
... Legs, 108 ... Measuring machine, 113.
...Horizontal movable platform, 114...
・Vertical movable platform, 115... Actuator, 120... Motor, 126... Axis,
132...Rail, 141...Motor, 142...Screw. Fig, / Fig, 2 Fig, J Fig, 4 Fig, 5

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A device for positioning right cylindrical pellets, comprising vertically and horizontally movable means for receiving the pellets, and placing a row of the pellets on the movable means. pivotable means for retaining said pellet array until the pellets are delivered to said pivotable means; means for forming said pellet array in a collection area in preparation for feeding to said pivotable means; and wherein said pivoting means is adapted to swing open and close to drop a row of pellets onto said movable means. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising control means for receiving an instruction signal as to the position of said pellet, said control means operative to direct operation of said movable means. (3) The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for generating a status indicating signal indicative of the position of the pellet, the generating means operative to transmit the indicating signal to the control means. . 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivoting means includes a pair of cooperatively pivoting helical blades pivoting about closely spaced parallel axes of rotation. 5) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pellet row forming means includes a pair of belts operative to transport pellets to the collecting area. (6) The movable means includes a vertically movable platform, and Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vertically movable platform supports a horizontally movable platform, and the movable means includes a table comprising legs that can project below the vertically and horizontally movable platform. 7) The device according to claim 6, wherein the movable means includes a table including legs projectable below the vertically and horizontally movable platform. (8) The apparatus of claim (7), wherein the legs are supported on means for weighing the pellets. (9) The apparatus according to claim (1), wherein the movable means includes a tray for receiving a plurality of rows of pellets. (10) The apparatus according to claim (1), further comprising means for weighing the pellets.